OvallyBalls can now reveal that our operatives have made secret recordings of discussions that took place some years ago. Names may have been changed to protect the not-that-innocent.
Wrigel Nay: Right, chaps, this salary cap is a bit awkward, eh what? If we are to DOMINATE the Premiership and the European Cup, we need you players. And obviously you won’t play as well if you’re not millionaires.
Basil ‘Bog’ Brush: Well, y’need the motivation. I coulda gone inta footba’, and got my money for nothing, and my chicks for free. In rugby, I have t’ make a lo’ o’ no-arms tackles, and tha’ stings a bi’ sometimes.
Maro Match (melodiously): Uhmm, I’ve got lots of arms; I’m like an octopus, mate. Uhmm, but every extra 100 grand grows another arm. Plus, it’s fodder for my political campaign chest.
The Puny Voles: We’ve got our private doctors and personal massage therapists to pay for. It’s not cheap being injured all the time. We are reduced to pretending to go on Z-list sleb programmes to survive. And it’s boring, so the finest Dom is in order.
Maro Match (melodiously): Uhmm, Classic Dom?
The Puny Voles: Nah, mate, Dom Pérignon.
Wrigel Nay: Don’t worry, chaps, I have a plan. You set up some limited companies, and we ‘invest’ in them in lieu of salary.
[Collective sound of gum-guard-sucking.]
Wrigel Nay: I’ll have my people contact your people to explain it all. [Drones on until everyone falls asleep.]
On the telly this week
Friday 8th November
| Connacht 11 – 42 Leinster | 19:35 | TG4 / Premier Sports 2 |
| Edinburgh 20 – 17 Dragons | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Sale 28 – 18 Wasps | 19:45 | BT Sport 1 |
Saturday 9th November
| France 10 – 20 England (women) | 13:10 | Sky Sports Arena |
| Gloucester 12 – 21 Saracens | 15:00 | BT Sport 2 |
| Zebre 7 – 31 Glasgow | 15:00 | Free Sports |
| Ospreys 14 – 16 Kings | 15:00 | Premier Sports 1 |
| Cardiff 30 – 17 Cheetahs | 17:15 | Premier Sports 1* / S4C |
| Munster 22 – 16 Ulster | 17:15 | Premier Sports 1* |
| Scarlets 20 – 11 Treviso | 19:35 | Premier Sports 1 |
*Both of these cannot be right. But that’s what the site says.
Sunday 3rd November
| Exeter 17 – 22 Bristol | 15:00 | BT Sport 2 |
Ovally Balls 
I foresee a period of drought for Wales. We have too few players coming through to cover a threadbare squad, a squad that looks almost naked at lock and in midfield with current injuries.
With hindsight it is clear to see how Gats had no option other than to fast-track youngsters into the Wales set-up to try to get them up to speed for the international game, because playing at club level doesn’t hack it. It began with Prydie and ended with Carre, and there a lot of misses and only a few hits in between.
There’s also the fact that decent players who fall short of their own country’s standards like Anscombe and Parkes get welcomed with open arms once they are eligible to play for Wales. Seems next up are McNicol and *Hello-Hello, good players but still a reflection on the lack of players coming through in Wales.
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Aled Walters on DNA (from the article TomP linked):
“What struck me when I first joined the Bok set-up was just how genetically gifted South African players are.”
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OK, Iks. Wooden spoon for Wales it is.
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Pfft.
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*Is it so? Halaholo… With apologies to Yos for my lazy speling.
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@Ticht I’m glad a line is drawn under the matter, but with hindsight I do think that the stuff coming from the SRU during the world cup was a bit crappy. I don’t think that this should be seen as vindicating them.
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Well my Pfffftermeister, Wales look like the team in the steepest decline in the NH. I predict 3 years of suffering, or more. There’s a perfect storm brewing – new coaches, no players, and the end of a dynasty.
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But like Marillion, we’ll be bouncing back somewhere along the line.
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The latter might miss out all together and I wouldn’t be surprised if he remains uncapped. His form this year – and this season particularly – has been appalling. Pivac might decide it is not worth it in the short term and elevate a younger, less experienced player.
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He’s got a nice side-step though.
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Ireland tink AW gets a pass on the DNAometer, Deebs. Mostly cos he doesn’t say DNA.
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So genetics and DNA have nothing in common? Strange times we’re living in.
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I’ve also got a great sidestep. It’s in my DNA.
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Dab, in what way were the actions of the SRU a bit crappy? Substitute any other team in Scotland’s position and how would their CEO act differently? The point had nothing to do with the natural disaster and the threat to life, it was all about the so-called “robust contingency plans”, you cannot conflate the two, they are entirely independent of each other.
Further, when World Rugby described the SRU’s actions at a press conference as “the most egregious example of bringing the game into disrepute, do you really think that the complaints about adequacy of those contingency plans is in the same ballpark as match fixing, doping or bribing officials?
Is saying that the ABs might be treated differently the most egregious example of bringing the game into disrepute? If so why was Parrise allowed to escape without so much a word, despite saying the very same thing?
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So I’m in Milan. Unfortunately in a fairly sterile business area. But tomorrow I take the train to Parma for a meeting and from there to Pesaro, not far from San Marino for another one and then back to Milan. Hopefully on Saturday I’ll get to see some of the sites of downtown Milan.
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Personally, I thought that WR brought the game into disrepute by not having made any robust contingency plans. But I’ve said that already.
Ten-minute warning!
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Ticht, I agree with you 100% – and disagree at the same time. You’re right about not conflating the two issues, but at the same time, the disaster WAS the backdrop to the matches potentially being cancelled and as such, it’s easy for people to trash Scotland for not just sitting on their hands and staring at the floor.
You’re 100% correct that the real issue was World Rugby lying through their teeth about having any kind of actual, real and effective contingency plan, but in the real world, raising this in public when people are dying and being displaced is crap PR. Naive at best.
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Is the ten minute warning for World Rugby??? Please say it’s so!
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